Getty Quarterback Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers talks with head coach Matt LaFleur during a game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on December 4, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
The Green Bay Packers can’t make a final call on Aaron Rodgers‘ future with the team until the quarterback reaches his own decision on the hotly debated topic.
While there is no express deadline for those back-to-back choices to be made (and then be made public), the top of the Green Bay organization did offer a tentative timeline for when Packer Nation will have a definitive answer on who will start under center in 2023.
ESPN’s Dianna Russini spoke with team President Mark Murphy about the Rodgers situation on Thursday, February 9.
#Packers President Mark Murphy on Rodgers.
“There hasn’t been a deadline. The sooner the decision is made, the better. Gutekunst has been in contact with him. Aaron has expressed that he doesn’t want to drag it.
You’re hoping maybe by the start of March?
Yes around free agency.
“There hasn’t been a deadline. The sooner the decision is made, the better,” Murphy told Russini. “[General manager Brian] Gutekunst has been in contact with him. Aaron has expressed that he doesn’t want to drag it [out].”
Russini pressed Murphy for a more precise timeline, mentioning the month of March. The NFL free agency period officially opens at 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Wednesday, March 15.
“Yes, around free agency” Murphy responded.
Rodgers Remains Non-Committal on Future With Green Bay Packers
GettyQuarterback Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers reacts after defeating the Los Angeles Rams 24-12 at Lambeau Field on December 19, 2022 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Rodgers may not want to drag out his decisions on retirement or which team he’d prefer to play for assuming that he plans to return next season, but fans shouldn’t expect the quarterback to go public with any information before building a bit of drama first.
During his February 7 appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers indicated that he won’t make a decision before he literally disappears for four days and nights on a “darkness retreat,” which is a journey he doesn’t plan to undertake until after Super Bowl Sunday on February 12.
Rodgers told McAfee that upon his re-emergence into the light, he would be “closer” to a call on what is most conducive to his happiness. While pawing through the pitch black in hopes of grasping a surer sense of identity, Rodgers will need to consider the nearly $60 million he is scheduled to make in 2023, which is only the second-to-last year of his current contract.
If he does return, Rodgers will play his 19th NFL season next year. His 18 previous campaigns have all come in a Green Bay uniform.
Packers to Finally Show Some ‘Love’ to Backup Quarterback
GettyQuarterback Aaron Rodgers (left) and backup Jordan Love (right) of the Green Bay Packers walk to the field before a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on November 27, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
The only way Rodgers is playing for a new franchise next year is via a trade. Cutting Rodgers is not a realistic option, as he carries a whopping dead cap number of $99.8 million and Green Bay can’t use nearly half of its salary cap in 2023 on a player who isn’t on the roster.
However, if the Packers don’t deal Rodgers then the team is likely to run into a trade demand from quarterback Jordan Love. The backup is entering his fourth season in the league next year and has started just one career game.
He played well during meaningful minutes against the NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles earlier this season and is scheduled to earn more than $20 million in 2024 if the Packers decide to pick up his fifth-year option. If the franchise doesn’t pick up that option but keeps him on the roster, then Love will hit free agency approximately 13 months from now.
The New York Jets and the Las Vegas Raiders are the most likely trade destinations should Rodgers choose not to retire and the Packers subsequently decide to look for a deal. Other, less likely, landing spots include the San Francisco 49ers or the Tennessee Titans.